Gas-lighter.



.T. Y. PARKE.

GAS LIGHTER.

APPLICATION FILED APR.24, 1914.

1,130,195. Patented Mar.2,1 915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1 INVENTOR (fab/21 L 52.

ATTORNEY THE NORRIS PETERS CO.. PHOTG-LITHQ, WASHING TON. D. c

J. Y. PARKE.

GAS LIGHTER.

APPLICATION FILED 111 2.24, 1914.

1,130,195. Patented Mar. 2, 1915.

Z SHEETSSHEET 2.. 4 /29. 6".

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F 1 K J' INVENTOR (jib/9113515 01176 WITNESSES 4 I ATTORNEY NORRIS PETERS CO. PHOTO-LITHOH WASHINGTON, D. C.

JOHN Y. PARKE, 0F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

GAS-LIGHTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 2, 1915.

Application filed April 24, 1914:. Serial No. 834,974.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN Y. PARKE, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of Fhiladelphia, county of Philadelphia, and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gas-Lighters, of which the following is a specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawings.

Among the principal objects of my inven tion are to provide an improved form of gas lighter which may be readily attached to the usual type of gas burner now in use; to pro vide such a lighter in which may be employed one of the pyrophorous metal alloys, such, for instance, as an alloy of cerium and iron, which alloys have the property of giving off sparks when brought into contact with a suitable frictional element, and to provide a lighter in which such frictional element shall be rotated against the sparkgiving material at relatively high speed substantially independent of the speed at which the operating key of the device be rotated by the user.

Further objects of my invention are to provide an improved gas lighter which may be easily and cheaply constructed; which shall not detract from the appearance of the gas fixture when in use; which shall not be liable to get out of order; which shall pro vide an improved means of attachment to gas burner; which shall be durable and ertain in operation, and in which the sparkgiving material may be readily replaced or removed while the lighter is in position upon the burner.

My invention further includes all of the various other novel features and objectshereinafter more definitely specified and described.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 is a side elevation of one form of my improved gas lighter, showing the lighter in position upon a gas burner as indicated in dotted lines; Fig. 2 is a front elevation of a similar lighter removed from the burner; Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken on the line 33 in Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows; and Fig. 4- is a perspective view of certain details of the device. In Figs. 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9 is shown a slightly modified form of the device, Fig. 5 being a side elevation of this form of lighter in position upon a gas burner as indicated in dotted lines, Fig. 6 being a front elevation of a similar lighter removed from the burner; Fig. 7 a transverse section taken on the line 7-7 in Fig. 6 looking in the direction of the arrows; and Figs. 8 and 9 being perspective views of various details of the device. In Figs. 1O, 11 and 12 is shown another slightly modified form of my invention, these figures corresponding respectively to the views shown in'Figs. 1, 2, 3, 5, 6 and 7, hereinbefore referred to and described.

Referring now to that form of my invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to f inclusive, the same may comprise a substantially vertical plate 2 preferably formed of sheet material and having near its lower extremity an integral, laterally projecting clamp having the arms 3 formed of a suitable shape and of a size to surround the base of an ordinary commercial gas burner. The arms 3 may preferably be provided with longitudinally extended slots 4-. whereby the arms are somewhat weakened in such manner that they may be clamped much more securely around the burner by means of a suitable clamping screw 6 passing through suitable apertures in the ends of the arms and provided with a nut 7 than is possible if the slots 4 be omitted, as the slots materially contribute to the flexibility of the arms.

The upper end of the plate 2 may be turned outwardly from the body of the plate in substantially the opposite direction from the arms 3 to form a bracket 8 having a suitable aperture in which is journaled the friction wheel shaft 10, the lower end of which is preferably reduced in diameter and threaded into a suitable bore in the upper end of the main shaft 12, as clearly shown in Fig. 1, the relative diameters of the shafts 10 and 12 preferably being such as to form a slight shoulder at the end of the main shaft when the shafts are assembled. Adjacent the upper end of the friction wheel shaft 10, the friction wheel 14: may be .rigidly attached thereto in any desired manner, as by riveting or pinning. A. squared wheel 18 of somewhat greater diameter than the main shaft 12 may preferably be formed integral therewith and adjacent its lower end, although if desired this wheel maybe formed separately from the main shaft and fixedly attached thereto in any desired manner. While I have referred to this wheel as a squared wheel, and while I have shown such a wheel in the drawings, as a wheel of this contour has been found to work well in practice, I do not desire to limit myself in any way to the use of a squared Wheel, or in fact to a wheel of any especial form, or to a wheel having any given number or shape of teeth. as. if desired, I may make use of any suitable form of wheel such as a star or toothed wheel.

Beneath the squared wheel 18 and preferably formed integral therewith, may be positioned the annular cam-wheel 20 provided with a pair of diametrically opposed upwardly extending notches 22 and 23, one side of each of said notches being substantially parallel with the central longitudinal axis of the main shaft 12, the other side thereof being gradually curved as best shown in Fig. 4. The lower end of the main shaft 12 is provided with an upwardly extending axial bore 26 suitable for the reception of the stub shaft 28, preferably integral with which is an annular collar 30, the side wall thereof being removed to form a slot 32 having its side edges substantially parallel with the central longitudinal axis of the stub shaft. The interior diameter of the collar 30 is slightly greater than the exterior diameter of the cam-wheel 20, and beneath the collar the stub shaft may be preferably somewhat enlarged in diameter and provided with a transverse aperture 34 adapted for the reception of the upper end of the rod 36, having at its lower end the key 37, the upper end of the rod being preferably bent into the form of a hook suitable for loose removable engagement within the aperture 3 1.

A bracket a0, preferably formed integral with the plate 2 by being struck outwardly therefrom parallel to the bracket 8, is pro vided with a suitable aperture to form a journal for the enlarged portion of the stub shaft 28, the upper side of the bracket preferably forming an angle a little less than 90 degrees with the face of the plate.

Positioned upon the reduced portion of the stub shaft 28 is the coil spring 45, having its outwardly projecting ends 46 and 17 resting within the slot 32 as clearly shown in Fig. 3 and a delay spring 50, preferably substantially of the shape shown, may be secured by means of a rivet 52, or otherwise suitably aflixed, to a lug 53 preferably formed integral with the plate 2, the delay spring bearing against the edge of the squared wheel 18 with considerable pressure. For the purpose of more securely positioning the delay spring upon the lug, the former maybe provided with one or more struck up projections 56 adapted to engage within correspondingapertures 57 formed in the lug. The various parts of the device are so proportioned that when the same is assembled as shown in Fig. 1, the lower face of the cam wheel 20 will tend to force the end 47 of the spring 45 downwardly, the

a portion of end 46 of course resting upon the bottom of the slot 32 so that the tendency of the end 47 of the spring 45 will always be to move upwardly, while the main shaft 12 is prevented from being forced upwardly by this tendency of the spring 45 by the engagement of its upper end with the under side of the bracket 8.

For the purpose of generating sparks, a piece of pyrophoric material 62 must be maintained in contact with the friction wheel, and while various means may be employed for this purpose, I prefer to utilize those shown in the drawings which may comprise a spring 64:, a portion of which is coiled around a suitablepin 65, located upon an outwardly projecting lug 67 formed integral with the plate 2, the adjacent end 68 of the spring abutting against a forwardly bent portion 70 of the lug 67, the body of the spring having substantially a ri ht angle bend and the extreme upper end 2 being formed in a curved shape to facilitate its manipulation. That portion of the spring adjacent the corner formed therein by the right angle bend is adapted to operate within a longitudinal slot in the wall of the prefer-- ably cylindrical holder permanently afiixed to a suitable lug formed upon the bracket 8, the spring contacting with the outer end of the pyrophoric material 62 and tending to force the latter into engagement with the friction wheel 11 as clearly shown in Fig. 2. It will be evident that the means for maintaining the material 62 in position which have just been described may be readily operated to change or remove the pyrophoric material when necessary without danger of losing or mislaying the spring 61, since for this purpose it is only necessary to withdraw the spring from the slot by pushing backward upon the projecting end 72, after which the new piece of material may be inserted and the spring again readily introduced into the slot without disconnecting it from the rest of the device. Furthermore in case of breakage of the spring itself, a new spring be readily substituted by withdrawing the old spring from the slot and slipping it off the stud 65.

The operation of the device is as follows: The lighter is first positioned on a gas burner as shown in Fig. 1 and so adjusted in height thereon that the friction wheel will be adjacent the tip of the burner and securely clamped in position by means of the screw 6 and nut 7. If the key 37 be now rotated in the direction of the arrow, the stub shaft, together with spring 15 will be carried around until one of the notches on the cam wheel 20 is reached by the end 17 of the spring, which will immediately ride upwardly into the notch owing to the vertical compression of the spring between the bottom of the slot 32 the collar 30 and and the lower face of the cam-wheel 20 hitherto described. If now the rotation of the key 37 be continued the end 17 of the spring will cease to move, the friction exerted by the delay spring 50 on the squared wheel 18 being sufficient to prevent the rotation of the cam-wheel 20 by means of any force which can be exerted by the coil spring- 415. However, the end 16 of the coil spring will still be carried forward by its engagement with the edge of the slot 32, thus winding up the spring until the edge of the slot comes around far enough to engage the end 47 which will then be carried forward by the collar 30, thus slowly rotating the main shaft 12 in spite of the retarding friction exerted by the delay spring. lhe moment, however, that the main shaft has been carried around sufficiently far so that a point of the squared wheel passes the point of intersection of the delay spring and a plane normal to the face of the delay spring and passing through the central longitudinal axis of the main shaft 12, v1. 6., until it passes the dead center, it will be rotated through a considerable arc with great rapidity in the direction of the arrow by the combined action of the coil spring f5, which will immediately unwind, as well as the action of the delay spring, Whose force will now be exerted in a direction tending to accelerate instead of retard the motion of the squared wheel 18, thereby rotating the friction wheel 14: against the pyrophoric material 62, and producing a shower of sparks adjacent the burner tip suflicient to ignite the gas if the same has been previously turned on in the usual manner. Of course, as soon as a flat side of the squared wheel again comes into alinement with the delay spring, the shaft 12 will be brought to rest. It will be evident that the speed of rotation of the main shaft, together with the friction wheel, after the squared wheel 18 has passed the dead center, will be substantially independent of the rate at which the key 37 be turned, so that even though the latter be turned very slowly, the friction wheel will be revolved with sufficient rapidity to generate a plentiful supply of sparks.

It is preferable in practice to provide the friction wheel 1-1 with teeth of such shape that they will tend to cut into the pyrophoric material when the wheel is rotated in a given direction, whereby a much greater showing of sparks will be generated than if the surface of the Wheel be merely roughened. Such teeth, however, produce almost no sparking effect when the wheel is rotated in the opposite direction, and it is therefore desirable to provide means to prevent such rotation, which tends to dull and otherwise injure the teeth while affording an insufficient quantity of sparks to insure ignition of the gas. In the form of my invention previously described, the rotation of the friction wheel 1 1 in a direction opposite to that of the arrow in Fig. 3 is prevented by the co-action of the spring 45 and camwheel 20, since if the key 37 be rotated in the wrong direction the end 47 of the spring 45 will be carried around with the collar 30 and will merely slide along the lower face of the cam-wheel 20 and not remain engaged within either of the slots 22 and 23 as it slips into them in the manner hereinbefore described, but will slide out of the slots upon the beveled sides thereof, and will thus not exert suiiicient turning moment upon the cam-wheel to overcome the action of the delay spring 50.

It will be noticed that the main shaft 12 is located preferably at a slight angle from the vertical, the brackets 8 and 40 being slightly inclined in order to produce this result, thereby permitting the wheel 18 to be constructed of relatively large diameter while bringing the friction wheel in such position with relation to the burner that the sparks will be given off in close proximity to the tip thereof, insuring ignition of the gas. A further advantage of this construction arises from the fact that the rod 36 supporting the key 37 is thereby maintained farther from the central vertical axis of the gas burner than it would be if the shaft should be maintained approximately vertically so that any projections such as shade holders, which may be attached to the fix ture beneath the burner will be more readily cleared by the rod and will not interfere with the operation thereof. Moreover, a distinct advantage resides in the method of attachment of the rod to the stub shaft herein illustrated and described, in that it permits a considerable freedom of movement to the rod so that the latter may be readily rotated by the key even though maintained in an angular instead of a vertical position, so that, if after adjusting the device upon a gas burner it is found that the fixture, owing to its peculiar shape, contacts with the rod and throws it out of perpendicular, the operation of the device will not be interfered with.

In Figs. 5, 6, 7 8, and 9 is shown a slightly modified form of the device in which the stub shaft 28 is provided. with a fiat circular disk 80 instead of the collar 30. On the upper surface of this disk is permanently located a beveled pin 82 and a similar pin 83 projects from the lower side of the squared wheel 18. A coil spring 88 is so positioned between the upper face of the disk 80 and the lower face of the squared wheel 18 that its ends will engage the pins 82 and 83. In this form of the device a slight clearance is left between the upper end of the main shaft 12 and the lower face of the bracket 8, whereby the main shaft can move slightly in a longitudinal direction. The delay spring 90 in this form of the device may be provided with a plurality of cars 91 suitable for engagement with the edges of the lug 53 upon which it is posi tioned for the purpose of maintaining it securely in position, although if desired the ears may be omitted and struck-up projections suitable for engagement with suitable apertures in the lug as hitherto described may be utilized. In this form of the device when the key 37 is rotated in the direction of the arrow, the pin 82 will carry around the lower end of the coil spring 88 and wind up the same until the pin 82 contacts with the pin 83, the rotation of the squared wheel and main shaft 12 meanwhile having been prevented by the action of the delay spring 90. However, when the pin 82 contacts with the pin 83 and the rotation of the key 37 iscontinued, the squared wheel 18 will be carried around in spite of the action of the delay spring until it passes the dead center when, as previously described, the combined action of the delay spring and the coil spring will tend to force the main shaft forward with great rapidity through a considerable are. The bevels upon the ends of the pins 82 and 83 are so formed that if the key be rotated in the opposite direction, the pin 83 will ride up on the beveled face of the pin 82, the main shaft moving upwardly for the slight distance permitted by the clearance at its upper end, so that the pin 82 will pass the pin 83 whereby the friction wheel 14L will not be revolved. As soon, however, as the key be rotated in the proper direction the same cycle of operations hitherto described will be commenced and the friction wheel will be successively rotated with great rapidity each time that a corner of the squared wheel passes the dead center point of its contact with the delay spring.

In Figs. 10, 11, and 12 is illustrated a still further modification of the device, in which, however, no provision is made for preventing the rotation of the friction wheel in a direction opposite to that indicated by the. arrow. In this form of the device the stub shaft with its attendant coil spring is entirely omitted, the main shaft being eX- tended downwardlythrough the bracket 40, the rod 36 being preferably attached directly to it and above the bracket the main shaft is provided with a squared wheel 18 against the face of which bears the delay spring 90, secured to the plate 2 preferably in a manner similar to that hitherto described. In this form of the device, when the key 37 is rotated, one corner of the squared wheel 18 will ride along the inner face of the spring 90 until it passes the dead center when the pressure of the spring will tend to force the shaft 12 around at relatively high speed until the flat side of the wheel comes in contact with the inner side In practice I have found that in the various forms of my device it is somewhat preferable to slightly incline the teeth of the friction wheel so that the cutting edges of the same form a slight angle with the sides of the wheel as clearly shown in the drawings, but I do not desire to limit'myself to the use of a wheel with teeth formed in this manner as it will be evident that wheels having teeth of any suitable form may be utilized. Furthermore, I do not desire to limit myself to the precise details of construction and arrangement of those forms of my device herein illustrated and described, as it will be evident that various changes may be made therein, and that the construction and arrangement of the various parts thereof may be modified or varied without departing from the spirit and scope of my invention as defined in the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim and desire to protect by Letters Pat ent of the United States:

1. In a gas lighter, the combination with a plate having clamping means adapted to embrace a gas burner, of a shaft, a friction wheel upon said shaft, means operative to maintain a piece of pyrophoric material in contact with said wheel, means operative to produce a relatively slow initial rotation of said shaft, and independent means operative to complete the rotation of said shaf at relatively greater speed.

2. In a gas lighter, the combination with a friction wheel fixedly mounted upon a main shaft, of a piece of pyrophoric material maintained in permanent contact with said friction wheel, a squared wheel at the lower end of said main shaft, a spring in permanent contact with saidsquared wheel, and means to produce an initial rotation of said wheel, said spring being operative to assist the final rotation thereof.

3. In a gas lighter, the combination with a plate adapted for attachment to a gas burner, of a friction wheel, a shaft carrying said wheel, a key operative to rotate said shaft, a spring, and means upon said shaft in permanent contact with said spring operative to vary the speed of rotation of said shaft.

4. In a gas lighter the combination with a vertical plate having clamping means at its lower end, of a shaft journaled in said plate, a friction wheel permanently mounted at the upper end ofsaid shaft, a' spring mounted upon said plate, a key for producing an initial rotation of said shaft, and means mounted upon said shaft operative with said spring to continue the rotation thereof at relatively greater speed.

5. In a gas lighter, the combination of a friction wheel fixedly mounted upon a main shaft, a piece of pyrophoric material maintained in permanent contact with said friction wheel, a stub shaft in longitudinal alinement with said main shaft, a key operative to rotate said stub shaft, and connecting means between said stub shaft and said. main shaft operative to assist in the rotation of said main shaft in one direction after the initial movement of said stub shaft.

6. In a gas lighter the combination of a plate having means at its lower extremity for attachment to a gas burner, outwardly projecting brackets formed upon said plate, a friction wheel fixedly mounted upon a main shaft journaled in one of said brackets,

-a stub shaft journaled in the other of said brackets, and means operative to effect the rotation of said main shaft in one direction when said stub shaft is revolved.

7. In a gas lighter the combination of a plate having slotted means at its lower extremity for attachment to a bas burner, outwardly projecting brackets formed upon said plate, a friction wheel fixedly mounted upon a shaft journaled in one of said brackets, a main shaft in rigid relation with said first-mentioned shaft, a stub shaft ournaled in the other of said brackets, and means operative to effect the rotation of said main shaft when said stub shaft is revolved in, one direction.

8. In a gas lighter, the combination with a plate, of means for attaching said plate to a gas burner, a main shaft maintained in permanent relation with said plate, a stub shaft similarly maintained, a squared wheel on said main shaft, a spring permanently mounted on said plate in contact with said wheel, and connecting means between said stub shaft and said main shaft.

9. In a gas lighter, the combination with a friction wheel fixedly mounted upon a shaft, of a plate carrying said shaft, means adapted for the attachment of said plate to a gas burner, a loosely depending operating key, and means operative to retard the rotation of said shaft.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for 10. In a gas lighter, the combination of a plate having laterally extended, apertured clamping means at its lower extremity, outwardly projecting brackets upon'said plate, a friction wheel, a main shaft in rigidrelation with said wheel, a loosely dependent operating key beneath said main shaft, and means operative to retard the rotation of said main shaft when said key is rotated.

11. In a gas lighter, the combination of a plate, a main shaft journaled in brackets on said plate, a friction wheel adjacent the upper end of said shaft, a cam wheel adjacent the lower end of said shaft having a plurality of notches in its face, a stub shaft, a coil spring surrounding said stub shaft having outwardly projecting ends, and means upon said stub shaft to engage the ends of said spring to rotate said main shaft.

12. In a gas lighter, the combination with a main shaft having a cam wheel adjacent its lower extremity, a friction wheel adjacent its upper extremity, a stub shaft provided with an annular collar having a slot, and a coil spring surrounding said stub shaft having an outwardly projecting end engaging within said slot and operative to eflect the rotation of said wheels.

18. A; gas lighter, the combination of a main shaft, a friction wheel adjacent its upper extremity, a squared wheel adjacent its lower extremity, a cam wheel having a notched face positioned beneath said squared wheel, a stub shaft having an annular collar provided with a slot, a coil spring surrounding said stub shaft having an end engaging 'within. said slot and within said notches and a delay spring operative by contact with said squared wheel to retard the initial rotation of said main shaft.

14. In a gas lighter, the combination of a shaft, means operative to produce a relatively slow initial rotation of said shaft, and independent means operative to complete the rotation of said shaft at relatively greater speed.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 21st day of April, A. I). 1914:.

JOHN Y. PARKE.

Witnesses:

GEORGE K. HELBERT, ALEXANDER PARK.

five cents eaoh,fby addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

It is hereby certified that in Letters Patent No. 1,130,195, granted March 2, 1915, upon the application of John Y. Parke, of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for an improvement in GasLighters, errors appear in the printed specification requiring correction as follows: Page 3, line 57, for the Word showing read shower; page 5, line 28, for the word has read gas, and that the said Letters Patent should be read With these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Ofiice.

Signed and sealed this 30th day of March, A. D., 1915.

[SEAL] J. T. NEWTON,

Acting Commissioner of Patents. 

